


Birthday Song

by Mischel



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur sings to Merlin, Birthday fanfic for Colin!, Bromance, Cute, Merlin's Birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 18:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6999151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischel/pseuds/Mischel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin thought Gaius is the only one who knows about his birthday in Camelot. He was wrong - Arthur knows too, and Merlin sneaks into his chambers and hears Arthur... sing? When Arthur finds out about Merlin spying on him, he sings to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Song

It's been almost a year since he's arrived at the gates of Camelot. He stopped counting days and weeks months ago because this place has become his home. He liked the city and he liked the people. He's made friends like Gwen, Morgana and... yeah, okay, like Arthur.

But even though he trusted his friends, he didn't trust them with his secret, his magic. It was the only thing he couldn't tell anyone unless he was absolutely sure he trusted them or that they were ready and in this case, he wasn't even sure he'd _ever_ tell them. He lived in a land where using magic was a crime punishable by death.

So yeah – that was one thing he didn't tell anyone in Camelot yet... except Lancelot, but he found out. And except Gaius, but that one was an accident. And what was the other thing he didn't tell anyone in Camelot yet? His birthday. It wasn't like he didn't want to celebrate it, but he knew Camelot wasn't like Ealdor. His friends here had much more important things to do, his birthday was... something he could easily live without.

And yet, here he was, lying in his bed and thinking about it. He was turning 22 tomorrow and the only person who knew about it was Gaius and his mother. He saw Gaius reading a letter from her that evening, so he knew his mother didn't forget. That made him smile. He closed his eyes and sighed, but he still couldn't fall asleep, he just couldn't lie still in his bed.

Merlin sighed again and stood up. He went to his little window and looked outside, smiling when he saw all those little houses in the dark. Only the windows were yellow, the rest was hidden in shadows of the night. He looked up and saw the moon. It was beautiful, Merlin's never really had a chance to appreciate it since he left Ealdor.

He used to watch the moon every night in his village, but since he moved to Camelot, everything got more complicated and he got busy with saving Arthur, hiding his magic and running around the castle, granting Arthur's wishes.

Merlin smiled and closed his eyes. Then he left his little room and carefully moved to the other window in Gaius' quarters. The man was already asleep and Merlin knew he should be too, but it wasn't his fault that he wasn't tired. Instead, he sat to the other window and looked out into the courtyard. Unlike the rest of the city, everything was pretty much dark there. Almost everyone was asleep, even... wait. There was still light in Arthur's window. What was he doing?

"What is he doing after midnight?" Merlin mumbled and narrowed his eyes. He put the prince to bed more than two hours ago, how come he was still up? And what was better to do in the middle of the night than to go looking for answers? Especially when he couldn't fall asleep?

Merlin grinned and rushed out of Gaius' quarters. He ran across the courtyard (the guards didn't notice him) and hurried to Arthur's chambers. When he finally arrived there, he smiled and cracked the doors open carefully.

He looked inside, but Arthur didn't see him – exactly what he wanted. Then he frowned. Arthur was standing in front of a mirror on the wall and... talking to himself? What the hell was going on?

"Come on, Arthur." Arthur mumbled and looked down. He put his hands on his hips and started pacing around. What was he thinking about? "You can do this, it's for Merlin." Arthur said and closed his eyes, while Merlin's eyes widened.

For him? This was for him? What was that supposed to mean?

But then Arthur suddenly cleared his throat and looked into the mirror at his own reflection. "Happy-" he cleared his throat again. "Happy birthday to you!" He stopped and groaned. "Why does it sound like I'm dying?"

Was he seriously singing? He was singing _for_ Merlin? Merlin covered his mouth with his hand and giggled. He shouldn't have done that, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Arthur was _singing?_

Arthur immediately turned around and once he saw Merlin giggling in between the doors, he turned red like a potato. "M-Merlin?" He stuttered and frowned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Merlin started laughing and went inside, closing the doors behind him. "I just... I saw you didn't sleep so I wanted to know what you were doing, I couldn't sleep either." He smiled and went closer to Arthur. "How do you know about my birthday anyway?"

Arthur looked down and a little smile appeared on his face. "Well, it's been almost a year since you're here and I started wondering... I asked Gaius and he told me it was tomorrow... well, today actually." He admitted.

"And you wanted to sing to me?" Merlin smiled.

"No!" Arthur answered immediately. "But... I didn't have anything else to give you, so I wanted to at least try." He looked down, his cheeks still red.

"It didn't sound like you were dying by the way." Merlin smiled and put his hand on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur looked up into his eyes.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I liked it." Merlin smiled. "Even when you found out about my birthday so suddenly, you wanted to give me something, and I'm just a servant... It's nice."

"You're not just a servant Merlin, you're my friend, okay?" Arthur reassured Merlin and smiled. "Why didn't you tell us anyway?"

"Um... it was because this city is so busy." Merlin looked down and removed his hand from Arthur's shoulder. "I didn't want to add even more work to your responsibilities as a crown prince of Camelot, and lady Morgana and Gwen are both very busy here too. My birthday is not that important." Merlin confessed.

"It _is_ important to me, you idiot." Arthur rolled his eyes. "You should have told us, you belong here now and as all of us deserve something for your birthday."

"Like a song?"

"Like a song." Arthur laughed.

"So... will you sing for me?" Merlin smirked.

"What? Hell no." Arthur stepped back, but Merlin made a sad puppy face – his secret weapon. "Come on Merlin, I'm not even good at it... Merlin stop. Don't do that face it's... it's... okay, I'll sing." Arthur sighed and Merlin laughed. Mission successfully completed.

Merlin sat down to Arthur's table and Arthur stood in front of him. He cleared his throat and just like a few minutes ago, he started singing.

_Happy birthday to you,_

_happy birthday to you,_

_happy birthday Dear Merlin,_

_happy birthday to you!_

"Happy now?" Arthur rolled his eyes and came to sit next to Merlin. Merlin just grinned and clapped his hands.

"Very, thank you." He smiled and after a while Arthur smiled too.

"Happy birthday, Merlin." He said with fondness in his voice. "Happy birthday."

**Author's Note:**

> So I obviusly wrote this on January the 1st, but anyway... HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLIN!!! :D  
> I hope you guys liked it :)


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